Garment bag with steamer

ABSTRACT

A garment bag for storing or transporting garments that includes a frame adapted to receive a steam-generating unit.

United States Patent Inventor Gary L. Montgomery 234 West 650 South, Bountiful, Utah 84010 Appl. No. 836,891

Filed June 26, 1969 Patented July 27, 1971 GARMENT BAG WITH STEAMER 8 Claims, 6 Drawing Figs.

U.S.Cl 34/151 Int. Cl F26b 9/06 FieldotSearch 34/151,

Primary Examiner-Edward J. Michael Attorney-B. Deon Criddle ABSTRACT: A garment bag for storing or transporting garments that includes a frame adapted to receive a steamgenerating unit.

PATENTEU JUL27 1971 FIG 6 INVENTOR:

GARY L. MONTGOMERY FIG 5 ATTORNEY GARMENT BAG WITH STEAMER BRIEF DESCRIPTION l. Field of the Invention This invention relates to lightweight, portable garment bags, commonly used for storing and/or transporting garments, and to the steaming of hung garments to eliminate wrinkles, and to shape the garment.

2. Prior Art 7 There have in the past been a great many types of flexible, lightweight garment bags developed. The most popular ones of these are generally made ofa suitable, flexible sheet material, such as reinforced plastics; and they may hold a single man's or lady's suit, or they may hold a plurality of such garments. They are generally low in cost, in comparison to suitcases and other more rigid portable garment containers and since they are capable of being hung with the garment or garments inside, they are frequently preferred to the rigid-type garment containers. 7

In the past, there have also been proposed various types of compartments into which steam is injected to effectively press a garment placed on a shaping form. Also, it has been widely known that garments can many times be rather effectively returned to a pressed shape by hanging it in a shower room, creating a penetrating steam and thereafter allowing the garment to dry. Travelers, for example, frequently use this process to restore garment appearance while they are tem porarily lodged.

THE INVENTION The present invention provides a more convenient and effective way of steaming garments to return them to an original pressed state, whether or not a shower or other outside steamgenerating source is available. It is especially useful for travelers and the like when other garment shape restoration facilities may not be readily available.

Objects of the present invention are to provide apparatus for steaming garments that is low in cost, lightweight, portable and additionally useful for storing and/or transporting garments.

Principal features of the invention include a garment bag having at least one exterior hanger means at the top thereof, whereby it can be suspended from a clothes bar, automobile clothes hook, or other such structure, a frame positioned in the bottom of the bag and adapted to receive an electrode containing water housing and means in the garment bag, whereby the electric cord to the electrodes of the water housing can be readily connected to an available power source.

Additional objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description and drawing, disclosing what is presently contemplated as being the best mode of the invention.

THE DRAWING FIG. I is a perspective view of a garment bag of the invention, including a steamer unit;

FIG. 2, a vertical central section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 1 and showing a top view of the steamer unit;

FIG. 4, an enlarged longitudinal section, taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5, an enlarged transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 6, a horizontal section through the steamer unit, taken above the electrodes and showing the electrodes and their mounting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawing:

In the illustrated preferred embodiment the garment bag in cludes flexible front and rear wall panels and 11, respectively, interconnected by flexible sidewall panels 12 and 13, top panel 14 and bottom panel 15. All of the panels are preferably made of a moisture and dust-impervious fabric and a nylon reinforced plastic has been found very suitable.

A hanger bar 16 extends transversely across the central top of the inside of the bag at the top thereof and is fixed below a solid member 17 underlying top panel 14. A pair of spaced hanger hooks 18 and 19 extend upwardly from swivels 20 and 21, respectively, that are connected through the top panel 14 to member 17. I

A zipper 22 longitudinally divides front panel 10 and when the zipper is open the interior of the bag is readily accessible and clothes, on conventional clothes hangers can be readily hung on or removed from the hanger bar 16. Other reclosable opening means could be used instead of the zipper shown, however.

A bottom frame, shown generally at 23, and including side members 26 and 27 and braces 28 and 29 is arranged to fit snugly between the front and rear panels 10 and 11 and sidewall panels 12 and 13 and to rest on bottom panel 16.

A platform 30 extends across the bottoms of braces 28 and 29 and braces 31 and 32 interconnect braces 28 and 29 and I with the braces 28 and 29 form upstanding walls of the platform.

A steamer unit, shown generally at 35 is arranged to sit solidly on platform 30, between the braces 28 and 29 and 31 and 32. The steamer unit comprises a reservoir housing including sidewalls 36 and 37, top 38, bottom 39, end wall 40 and an intermediate wall 41.

A pair of spaced electrodes 42 and 43 are each secured to the intermediate wall 41 and project into the reservoir. Bolts 44 and 45, respectively, extend through the wall 41 and are electrically connected to the electrodes by nuts 45 and 46. The head ends of the bolts have lead wires 47 and 48 of the usual electrical cord 49, clamped between them and washers 50 and 51 that prevent leakage through the bolt holes in intermediate wall 41. Should any water get through the intermediate wall it is trapped in the compartment formed between the side, top, bottom and intermediate walls and another end wall 57. Cord 49 projects out through a hole provided therefor in end wall 51 and through a hole 52 (FIG. 1) in the sidewall panel 12, which hole made be elasticized to stretch as the plug on the end of the cord is inserted through and to thereafter tighten about the cord, to be connected to the usual electrical outlet, not shown.

The top of the housing is raised at the center thereof to for a domed cavity above the reservoir.

A filler opening 53 is provided through the top 38 and any conventional stopper,'such as the cork 54 shown, can be used to plug the filler opening when it is so desired.

The top 38 is formed to have a raised central portion that serves as an elevated dome to the center of the reservoir. A plurality of ports 55 are spaced along and centrally of the domed top such that steam collecting in the domed top will be distributed through the ports and into the garment bag. During filling of the housing the water level will be at the opening 53 and will not fill the dome cavity. Thus a pocket for generated steam is formed.

In use, the bag containing garments on hangers, is hung, using hanger hooks l8 and 19. The steamer unit is removed, filled with water through opening 53, to the level of the opening and is reinserted into the bag and resting on platform 30. The cord 49 is passed through 'hole 52 and the cord is plugged into heat the electrodes and the water in the reservoir to generate steam that moves into the domed interior of the housing and out through ports 55 into the bag. After the clothes have been steamed for as long as may be necessary or desirable the plug of cord 49 is pulled free and the clothes are allowed to dry. They may be removed from the bag to dry or the zipper may be undone so that they will dry in the bag.

While a particular garment bag has been herein described, using a pair of hanger hooks, a generally rectangular configuration and a zipper in the front wall, it should be apparent that other bags could be used, provided that they are made to receive a steam-generating unit. Similarly, although the steamgenerating unit herein disclosed has proven highly successful other such units could be used.

lclaimz l. A portable garment bag comprising pliant sheet material arranged to form a closed compartment having interconnected sidewall panels, a top and a bottom;

a rigid frame removably supported above said bottom between the sidewall panels, whereby the bottom is held substantially taut;

a steam-generating unit having a water reservoir arranged to removably rest on the rigid frame and to be supported thereby; and

reclosable opening means through the flexible sheet material to provide access to the interior of the bag.

2. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, further including hanger means extending upwardly from the top.

3. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, wherein the rigid frame provides a depressed platform on which the steam-generating unit rests and is secured against sliding movement.

4. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, wherein the steamgenerating unit comprises an interiorly domed water reservoir;

a pair of electrodes extending into the reservoir;

vent openings through the top of the reservoir at the dome thereof;

means for filling the reservoir to a level below the dome;

and

an electrical cord providing leads connected to the said electrodes.

5. A portable garment bag as in claim 4, wherein the sheet material has an opening adjacent the lower end thereof through which the electrical cord is insertable.

6. A portable garment bag as in claim 5, further including hanger hook means extending upwardly from the top, ex-

teriorly of the flexible sheet material;

hangar rod means extending centrally between the sidewall panels at the upper portion thereof and below the top; and

wherein the reclosable opening means comprises a zipper extending the length of one flexible sidewall panel.

7. A portable garment bag as in claim 6, wherein the rigid frame includes a central platform having upstanding members therearound; and

the steam-generating unit is adapted to sit on the platform and to be securely held against sliding movement thereof by the upstanding members.

8. A portable garment bag as in claim 7 wherein the flexible sheet material is impervious to moisture. 

1. A portable garment bag comprising pliant sheet material arranged to form a closed compartment having interconnected sidewall panels, a top and a bottom; a rigid frame removably supported above said bottom between the sidewall panels, whereby the bottom is held substantially taut; a steam-generating unit having a water reservoir arranged to removably rest on the rigid frame and to be supported thereby; and reclosable opening means through the flexible sheet material to provide access to the interior of the bag.
 2. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, further including hanger means extending upwardly from the top.
 3. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, wherein the rigid frame provides a depressed platform on which the steam-generating unit rests and is secured against sliding movement.
 4. A portable garment bag as in claim 1, wherein the steam-generating unit comprises an interiorly domed water reservoir; a pair of electrodes extending into the reservoir; vent openings through the top of the reservoir at the dome thereof; means for filling the reservoir to a level below the dome; and an electrical cord providing leads connected to the said electrodes.
 5. A portable garment bag as in claim 4, wherein the sheet material has an opening adjacent the lower end thereof through which the electrical cord is insertable.
 6. A portable garment bag as in claim 5, further including hanger hook means extending upwardly from the top, exteriorly of the flexible sheet material; hangar rod means extending centrally between the sidewall panels at the upper portion thereof and below the top; and wherein the reclosable opening means comprises a zipper extending the length of one flexible sidewall panel.
 7. A portable garment bag as in claim 6, wherein the rigid frame includes a central platform having upstanding members therearound; and the steam-generating unit is adapted to sit on the platform and to be securely held against sliding movement thereof by the upstanding members.
 8. A portable garment bag as in claim 7 wherein the flexible sheet material is impervious to moisture. 